Severe drought has returned to California for the first time in 18 months, affecting a small area in San Bernardino County and raising concerns as La Niña is expected to bring below-average precipitation. (GV Wire File)
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Severe drought has made a comeback in California, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map.
This marks the state’s first severe drought designation since early April 2023, reported Newsweek.
California had seen significant drought relief in 2023, thanks to an unusually wet spring and above-average snowmelt. By last October, the U.S. Drought Monitor declared the state drought-free, with only isolated areas categorized as “abnormally dry.” However, moderate drought conditions reappeared in parts of the state in July.
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Severe Drought Creeping into California
The current map shows severe drought affecting primarily in the far southeastern corner of San Bernardino County.
Tropical Storm Ileana, moving through the eastern Pacific, might bring light rainfall to southern California late Sunday into Monday but could lose moisture over northwestern Mexico.
Although the current situation is far less severe than the summer of 2022, when nearly 70% of the state faced severe drought, concerns are rising with the anticipated arrival of La Niña.
La Niña, which is expected to develop between September and November and persist through early 2025, often results in below-average precipitation for southern California. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center has issued a La Niña Watch.
La Niña can also bring atmospheric rivers, which typically affect northern California but may still impact southern areas. Atmospheric rivers are narrow corridors in the atmosphere that transport substantial water vapor.
Read more at Newsweek.
